Friday, July 20, 2018

When I was a teenager I had a near-death experience while
with my father.I went to work with him
one day.We were driving dad’s pick-up
truck in Chicago in mid-afternoon when we were rear-ended by a semi-truck
hauling gravel.We were stopped at a stop
light.The semi was going 40mph.The police told us that a split second before
the truck hit us the driver jerked the wheel to the left, dealing us a less
direct blow.I was knocked unconscious
and dad received bloody cuts to his face.But we were alive.We should not
have been. I’ve never forgotten that day.And I’ve never forgotten God’s protective Hand making sure we did not
take the full blow of that truck.

I thought I was finished with near-death experiences.My doctor dashed my assumptions this
afternoon.

About eight weeks ago I became very dizzy.It lasted all day every day.I’m the kind of guy that is allergic to
doctors.I only go when I’m too sick to
do otherwise or when my wife makes me.I
walked softly for two weeks, dealing with the light headedness.I bumped into walls and tripped over my own
feet.I fell out of a closet at church,
landing on the stage at the feet of a guitar player while the band
practiced.But I jumped up and pretended
like I had just lost my balance. I knew the truth but felt no desire to share
it.

A week later I had to go to the doctor for my bi-annual
check-up.Before I went I gave a few
vials of blood for the tests she always wanted to run.Much to my surprise my A1C came back at an
elevated level.I started eating better
and cutting back on my beloved daily doses of soft drinks.When I saw my doctor she called me a
diabetic-wannabe.She sent me home with
more medication and directions to get a blood-glucose meter and check my
blood.I waited longer than I should
have to accomplish that. And when I
finally obeyed her the meter told me to seek help as my blood sugar was a bit above
the suggested 70-90 on whatever scale doctors use.Okay, maybe more than a little bit.The meter maxed out at 600 and I was above
that number. The display on the screen told me to seek immediate medical
attention.

The next weeks were a blur.The doctor gave me the option of being admitted into the hospital or taking
insulin injections at home.I chose the
latter.But things moved slowly.For the next three weeks my numbers were
tested three times each day and rarely dipped below 400.I felt like I was stuck in tar.My brain functioned but only in first
gear.I remember sitting in my favorite
chair and talking to God … telling Him that I felt like I was melting into it …
becoming one with it.That was just one
of the moments that should have been revelatory to me. Perhaps I am a bit denser than most.I entertained thoughts that I was just lazy
and tried to force myself to take a walk.Not a walk down the street.A walk
across the room.It was usually a “no
go.” My eyes became so blurry that my glasses did no good.My muscles would cramp and I could not seem
to get enough water.One day I drank
three 16.9 ounce bottles of water without stopping … and I was still
thirsty.It was crazy.And I still did not really “get it.”

My blood glucose numbers have been in the low 100’s for four
days now.It’s been a battle to get them
there.Today I went and saw my doctor
again.She is a wonderful woman that I
have become friends with over the past few years.I gave her a bible last year and wrote inside
the cover about how grateful I was for her friendship and how I wanted her to
know my best friend … Jesus.I asked her
to read it. The verdict is still out on that.But today she asked the usual questions and gave me new directions to
get me through this battle that will evidently last the rest of my life.I laughed and told her some friends were
afraid I was dying. That is when she told me I was.

How can you be dying and not know it?

How clueless am I?

My doctor did not laugh.I can (and do) laugh about it.I
know that God orchestrated all of these events, including the timing of my
blood tests.I never would have gone to
the doctor with the symptoms I had.I
would have just lived with them, assuming they would pass.I was tired.The stress level had been a bit high.I was planning a trip to the mountains in July and I knew that would bring
the rest I needed. But go the doctor? Not going to happen.And now my doctor told me that decision would
have been my last decision.

I know that God sat with me in that chair when I talked with
Him and told Him that I was just fine and I needed to get back to work. I know His gentle Hand pushed me to the rear-edge
of life at just the right moment because He knew He would have to choose the
timing for this disease or I would make it the death of me.I know that He is teaching me of His
faithfulness.I know that He is less
concerned with making me happy than He is with making me like Jesus.I am walking through this with a new found
sense of peace and rest.I haven’t a
worry in the world.I feel the amazement
of realizing that I am in my Father’s Hand and, as Jesus said, nothing can pluck
me out of it.

I have not written on my blog in months.I burned out on writing.But I have not burned out on Jesus.And He told me I needed to tell you about all
of this.Not to warn you about the
dangers of diabetes.No, I need to tell
you this so you will know that He loves you just as much as He loves me.And He will hold you in His Hand to, if you
will let Him.I hope you will.

Who Dis?

Ron

St. Louis -ish, United States

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Romans 1:20